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Jefferson made the effort to suppress his surprise that his words weren't just going through one ear and out the other for her. The Patriarch could believe that Zynex earnestly needed his help, but his initial reaction was that it would end up useless in the end: If both stuck to their normal demeanors, the two would end up butting heads and she'd probably storm out on him and go complaining to Geneva (which might have been a better idea either way). This was not the case, however. Zynex was listening, understanding, absorbing. He observed the level of compassion fog her eyes, even as much as she tried to hide it. Maybe, he pondered, maybe we have more in common than I thought.
At first, he said nothing of the story he'd introduced -- it was nothing flashy, but if she needed to know, they would fall back on it in the conversation somewhere. When she spoke of what she wanted of the pack, however, her answers were jumbled and contradictory, making it obvious that she herself had barely considered the question prior to its asking. Oddly, her answers made a bit of sense to him. "I felt the same when I showed up. I was starved to skin and bones. I wouldn't have lasted a couple more days on my own, so I decided to stay only long enough to fill my stomach and sneak away." A tattered ear twitched. He was normally so closed off, and yet he'd been rather quick to share his personal stories more as of late. "Clearly that didn't end up being the case. A number of things tied me to the area and I could have left to find answers in the area on my own, but I didn't. It was like I had an obligation here, so I didn't go. I got into more trouble than not at first, and living here was hell for a while. I snapped at most everyone I met." The ear twitched again. Poor Pendzez. "I didn't want to feel or be needed, I wanted to be left alone. I couldn't stand to stay in a pack of idiots without a reason for being there. I think the biggest reason I stuck around was because I made a 'friend' here. She was the leader at the time, and hell if I'd ever had anyone to talk to like a friend." His head dipped and shoulders sank. "I took her place when she died. That's why I lead here now." That, in a nutshell, was the story.
After a pause, he sighed and looked at her only briefly before sending his gaze elsewhere again. "Maybe it has something to do with your exile," the brute mumbled, shamed. "I don't think you ever told me the story."
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